Still



March Q 11926.,

G. H. HURSHMAN STILL Filed Feb. 28

INVENTOR 1X 7 F (0612)" 7 BY A alm I ATTORNEYS WITNESSES March 9 19260 G. H. HURSHMAN STILL Filed Feb. 28 1925 4Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS March 9 1926.

G. H. HUR HMAN STILL,

Filed Feb. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WIITNESISES INVENTOR un'sbman ATTORNEYS Paanea Mai. 9, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HENRY HURSHMAN, F GRAYBULL, WYOMING.

STILL.

Application filed February 28, 19.25. Ser1ai No. 12,381.

To all whom ii may concern:

Be it known that-I, Gnonon H. HURSl-I- MAN, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Graybull, in the county of Big Horn, State of Wyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to an improvement in stills of the type known as coke stills and especially designed and adapted for use in refining oil.

The ordinary type of coke still employed in refining oil at the present time consists essentially of a cylindrical drum or shell arranged horizontally over the suitable furnace. In the shell or drum the oil is heated so that the volatile products of the oil are vaporized and carried off. The residue which remains after the volatile products are driven off from the oil is known as coke and as the vaporation of the volatile prodnets of the oil approaches completion this residue becomes thick and hard and as a consequence the sheet iron bottom of the still which is confined in the limits of the furnace become red hot. This condition of the bottom results in expansion which results in the buckling of the sides and bottomof the shell. This resulting buckling causes the shell or cylinder to be distorted and to become out of plumb with the concrete base or foundation on which the shell rests. In addition to this the excessive heating of the bottom results in the scaling or thinning of the metal of the shell. In actual practice when a coke still is subjected to ordinary usage it is usually necessary to renew the bottom of the coke still when the'still has been used for a comparatively short time. Ordinarily a still bottom lasts at least two and never morethan four months. The renewal of the still bottom is very expensive and even during the period of its use it is necessaryto patch and repair the same. Due to the with oil.

cylindrical form of the stills now in use they present but a relatively small coking area so that they can only be about half filled Even when half filled the coke or residue forms about two feet deep along the center line of the drum or shell and this depth tapers oti' toward the sides of. the drum due to the rise of the cylindrical body. On account of this relatively extreme thickness of the coke in the middle of the bottom the heat must be maintained an unusual length of time to insure proper action. The

maintenance of the high degree of heat over a long period is a very expensive factor in the operation of the still.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel type of coke still which permits of the expansion and contraction of the bottom Without buckling of the same and without buckling of the other portions of the still.

A further object resides in the provision of a novel type of coke still wherein a large coking area is exposed to the action of the furnace or other source of heat so that the coke or residue formed does not have a relatively great depth at any point whereby the length of time in which heat must be applied. is greatly reduced.

Another object is to provide a still of this character and having the advantages and capacities mentioned and wherein the stillmay be filled to the limit of its capacity with oil without impairing the efficiency of the operation and without increasing the cost thereof or of incurring liability of damage in any of the parts of the still.

A still'further object resides in the pro- I vision of a still of the character specified which is of simple and durable construction, reliable and ell ective in operation, easily prepared and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and operate.

Other objects and. advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

. is mounted.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates generally a furnace which may be of any suitable type. A coke still, which is designated generally at 2, is mounted I I above the furnace.

The still 2 comprises generally a shell or hollow body portion, designated generally at 3, a bottom plate 4, an expansion ring,

designated generally at 5, stanchions 6 sup porting the body portion and stanchions 7 p on which the bottom plate. 4 has a mounting,

as will be hereinafter more fully described. The bottom 4 vis .also suspended from the shall or body portion 3 by means of hanger bars 8 and 8 and as will be more fully described hereinafter.-

The shell or body portion 3 is of conical form and is made up of boiler plates, riveted and caulked and reinforced by T-shaped reinforcing bars 9 having flanges riveted to the shell 3. The reinforcing bars 9 are the volatile products of the oil.

arranged at equal angular distances round the shell and are located on the exterior thereof. At its upper end the shell 3. is formed with a flange opening-l0 to which the vapor line is connected for carrying off Adjacent itsupper end the shell 3 has a reinforcing and partitioning plate 11 therein which is perforated, as at 12, to permit of the outflow of the gases and which is riveted to one of the flanges of an annular attaching element 13, the latter being riveted to the shell. Braces 14 are provided between the plate 11 and the upper end of the shell, the braces being secured to the partition 11 by rivets 15 and a clamping plate 16 and being riveted, as-at 17, to the shell. -An annular attaching element 20 encircles the lower end of the shell and has a flange 21 riveted thereto. The element 20 also has a flange 22 which rests on the outwardly directed rim or flange'23 of the expansion ring 5. The rim.23 in turn rests on the upper flanged ends of the stanchions 6. The flange 22 is riveted to the rim 23 and the rim 23 is bolted, riveted, or otherwise suitably fastened to the flanges of the stanchions 6.

The expanslon ring 5 includes in addition to the ring 23 a flexing or resilient body portion 25 of U-shape in cross section. The rim 23 extends from one of the legs of the U-shaped body portion and from the other leg a similar though inwardly directed rim 26 extends. Preferably the ring 5 is made up of sections and is welded together in theassembly and'is constructed of metal. having to the shell 3and rename the requisite degree of resiliency to accomshownin Figs. 1, 2 and 6. lVhile the rollers 30 provide a. support for the outer periphery of the bottom plate they leave it free to expand and contract. The intermediate and center portions of the bottom plate are suspended from the shell 3 in such manner as to leave the plate free to expand and contract, and the suspensions of the intermediate and central'portions of the bottom plate is etlected by the hanger bars 8 and 8 hereinabove referred to. The hanger bars 8 are eight in number and are staggered with respect to the rollers. Each bar 8 has its lower end pivotally connected, as at 36, to a pair of lugs 37 integrally formed with the plate 4. The upper end of each hanger bar 8 is pivotally connected, as at 38, to the lug 39:

having an attaching bracket 40 riveted to the shell 3. pivotally connected at its lower end, as at 36,

to 'a pair of lugs 37, also integrally formed with the bottom 4 and the upper end of the hanger bar 8 is pivotally connected, as at 38 to the lug 39 of an attaching bracket 40 riveted to the partition 11 of the still.

The upper end of the body portion 2510f the expansion ring 5 is 0pened',l.and in order to prevent the coke or..residue fromflfilling the body portion of the expansion ring and interfering with its "action, a pluralityof cover plate 45 are provided, the cover plates providing in the assembly a complete annular cover for the expansion ring. Each The single central bar. 8 isv cover plate is hingedly connected, as at 46,

has a beveled end 47 snugly fitting against the rim,26 of the expansion ring and slidable thereover. The adjacent ends of the cover plates are reduced, as at.

48, and overlap each other, as shown in Fig. 7. 1 In order to provide for the escape of the gas or vapors from the oil in the expansion ring 5 and beneath thecover plates 45, a"

number of gas escape pipes 50 are provided.

the gas escape pipes having their lower ends threadedl-y connected with flanges 51 'provided on the cover plates and also having brackets 52 supporting'the same, the'brackets 52 being carried by the shell.

In operation of the still the body portion of the shell 3 is filled with oil and, of course the oii also fills the expansion ring 5. When to any great depth. Since the residue or coke is shallow it is .not necessary to maintain a high degree of heat over a long period to completely drive off all of the volatile products of the oil. As the bottom plate 4 becomes heated up it expands, but this expansion does not buckle the bottom plate or the body portion of the tank since it is taken up by the fiexion of the expansion ring 5. The expansion ring 5 is constituted to stand the fiexion which it undergoes when the bottom plate 4 is adequately supported by the rollers and by the hanger bars 8 and 8 but the support is of such a nature that it can be readily expanded and contracted. The coke or'residue cannot find its way into the expansion ring due to the provision of the cover plates.

It is to be'understood that the usual and conventional inlets, outlets, drain ipes, safety valves, gages, manholes, an the other standard equipment ordinarily used has to be used in conjunction with the still but since they are well known to those skilled in the art and form no part of the invention they are not herein illustrated or specifically described,

I claim:

1. In a still of the character described, a body portion, a bottom, means for supporting the bottom while leaving it free to expandand contract, and expansible and contractible means connecting the bottom and the body portion.

2. In a still of the character described, a body portion enlarging towards its lower end and contracting towards its upper end, a bottom plate, means for supporting the bottom plate while leaving it free to expand and contract, and an expansion joint between the bottom plate and the enlarged lower end of the body portion.

3. In a still of the character described, a body portion, means for supporting the body portion, a bottom plate, means for supporting the bottom plate while leaving it free to expand and contract and comprising supports for the periphery of the bottom plate including rollers engaging the bottom plate, hanger bars pivotally connected with the bottom plate and with the body portion, and an expansion joint between the bottom plate and the body portion.

4. In a still of the character described, a body portion, means for supporting the body portion at its lower end, a perforated partition adjacent the upper end of the body portion, braces between the partition and the body portion, a bottom plate, means for supporting the bottom plate while leaving the. same free to expand and contract and comprising stanchions having rollers engaging the bottom plate adjacent its periphery, hanger bars ivotally connected to the body portion an to the bottom plate intermediate its center and its periphery, a

hanger bar pivotally connected to the partition and to the center of the bottom plate, and an expansion joint between the bottom plate and the body portion.

5. In a still of the character described, a body portion, means -for supporting the body portion, a bottom plate, means for supporting the bottom plate while. leaving .the same free to expand and contract, an expansion joint between the body portion and the bottom plate including an annular ring of U-shape in cross-section, said annular ring having an inwardly directed rim secured to the bottom plate, an outwardly directed rim secured to the body portion, and

a plurality of cover plates hinged to the body portion and extending over the ring of the expansion joint to exclude coke or resi-- due from the expansion joint.

6. In a still of the character described, a body portion, means for supporting the body portion, a bottom plate, means for supporting the bottom plate while leaving the same free to expand and contract, an expansion joint between the body portion and the bottom plate including an annular ring of U-shape 1n cross section, said annular ring having an inwardly directed rim secured to the'bottom plate, an outwardly directed rim' secured tothe body portion, a plurality of cover lates hinged to the body portion and extending over the ring of the expansion joint to exclude coke or residue from the expansion joint, and gas escape pipes leading from openings in the cover plates and extending upwardly in the body portion.

' 7. In a still of the character described, a conical body portion, means for supporting the body portion at its lower end including stanchions connected thereto, a bottom plate,

stanchions having rollers engageable with the under side of the bottom plate adjacent its periphery, means for suspending the intermediate and central portions of the bottom plate from the body portion, and an expansion ring between the bottom plate and the body portion.

8. In a still of the character described, a body portion enlarging towards its lower end and contracting towards its upper end, a bottom plate, means for supporting the bottom plate but leaving it free to expand and contract and including supports for the periphery of the bottom plate, means for an a I 1,5?5,91Q

suspending portions of the bottom plate and contract, expansible and contractible from the body portion, and an expansion means connecting the bottom and the body joint between the bottom plate and the body portion, cover means for said expansible and 10 portion. contractible means, and means for carrying 5 9. In a still of the character described, a off gases from the space enclosed by said body portion, a bottom, means for support cover means. ing the bottom While leaving it free to expand GEORGE HENRY HURSHMAN, 

